How a Book About Uganda Made Me Even More Stoked About Being At Mizzou: The "Joe Finally Finished Reading a Book" Story

So for the past few weeks, I've been reading a book called Kisses From Katie. I was so intensely moved by this story that I figured the only logical thing to do was to write a blog-post that no one will read about how awesome this book is.

Let me start off by saying that this is a huge departure from my normal reading fare. Mainly because it's not about a galaxy far, far away or about a fantasy land where elves and dwarves battle dragons and orcs. If you don't get those references, it means that all I normally read are Star Wars or Lord of the Rings books. Also, if you don't get those references, how are we even friends in the first place?

But back to the matter at hand. I absolutely loved this book. It is by Katie Davis, who is living and doing work in Uganda, and has been for the past few years. If my math is correct, she is now about 25 years old, and when the book came out 3 years ago, she had already adopted 14 little Ugandan girls. Since I only finished the book about 10 minutes ago, I haven't really researched her life to see if she's adopted any more since then, but it honestly would not surprise me one bit.

Katie describes in detail the hardships that she endures daily in Uganda. Her life is a constant struggle of trusting God to provide for the basic needs of those around her. Basically, it is made clear that Uganda is pretty much the exact opposite of the United States, where basic human needs are a given, even for the poorest of poor among us. I knew this to be the case, which is why I was actually skeptical of reading this book in the first place. I had absolutely ZERO desire to ever go overseas to do missionary work, and I figured this book would try to convince me that I was stupid for feeling that way. But I could not have been more wrong.

This book, while it is solely about the importance of overseas, third-world missionary work, only strengthened my own resolve and desire to do college ministry here at Mizzou. The feelings Katie describes of God pushing her to stay in Uganda are the very same feelings that I've had about staying at Mizzou. Now I'm not saying that me staying in my hometown to do ministry is anywhere near the same thing as Katie going to Uganda, but I've realized while reading this book that it doesn't matter. I can only be obedient to what God has called me to. And in this season in my life, being obedient to God means doing college ministry with the Rock Campus Church and Great Commission Ministries. Which I could not be more excited about.

Now that does not mean that this book didn't open my eyes to more avenues of ministry. I have to say that foreign missions is now a much more viable option in my mind. For example, I absolutely cannot wait to go on a trip to Honduras with the Rock and that is not something I really cared about doing even two months ago.

So in summary, in case you only read the first and last paragraphs of things: go out and buy Kisses from Katie, cause it'll rock your world.